Vacuum cleaner



W. LEATHERS VACUUM CLEANER Aug. 28, 1934.

Filed Aug. 11, 1950 Pig ,4

INVENTOR. 6 g

Patented Aug. 28, 1934 UNITED srA'rEs PATENT. OFFICE Application August 11, 1830, Serial No. 474,584 I 6 Claims. (01. -158)" The object or my invention is to produce a highly eflicient vacuum cleaner using a more emcient brush nozzle, wherein the brush is made to give a highly eflicient action consuming manual labor for I this purpose and operating in such manner that the vacuum nozzle is open exclusively in front of the brush as it is moved to and fro; thereby using the vacuum principle only for picking up the dirt removed by the manually operated brush in a highly eflicient manner and thus reducing the necessary volume and speed of air.

Another object of my invention is the applicaticn of these sweeper principles to vacuum cleaners in general, and to a broom sweeper in' particular, wherein the brush is the only support of the cleaner on the floor.

I have herein set forth a completedescription of my invention to which I have attached a drawing for greater clarity, in which- Fig. 1 is a transverse cross-section of the brush nozzle.

Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal cross-section of the same.

Fig. 3 is amodification as of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section of the brush and nozzle shown in Figure 3.

In Figure 1, 1 is a vacuum-nozzle-brush-housing showing in transverse cross-section. 2 is a brush similarly cross-sectioned. The brush is provided with rubber side-walls 3. The sidewalls 3 are clamped to the sides of the brush by means of a metal clip or cover 4. 4 is attached to the-brush in any desired manner as by rivets. At the end of the brush a suitable bracket 5 is rotatively set in a'housing bracket 6, as at the bearing surface 7. 5 is attached to the brush in any suitable manner, as by a rivet. A plug or screw 8 or other suitable device is set into the bracket 5 from outside the housing 1, for the 4' purpose of keeping the brush-assembly from falling out. The upward thrust of the brushassembly is rotatably supported in the bearing 7, and the brush-assembly may be immediately removed irom the housing by the removal of the screws 8. Since this brush nwzle is designed to support its own weight, or even that of the entire cleaner, primarily on the brush itself, it is obvious that as this nozzle is operated back and forth on the floor the brush itself must swing from side to side of the housing 1. At 9 I have provided suitable projections on the housing 1 for engaging soft rubber or rubberized fabric side walls 3, when the brush in use is operated to and fro. This in effect produces brush-operated valves, one on either side 01' the brush. The length iii of the flexible side-walls 3, as well as of the metal back 4, is highly important. 3 must be long enough to engage 9 and 4 long enough to furnish a resistance to the inward movement of 3 from the suction 01' the cleaner when the valve is open. In use, the free rotation oi. the brush 2 about the axis of the pin 8 makes it imperative that one or the other valves as at 9 must be closed and the other one open most of the time. An air-tight, flexible web 10, preferably of rubberized fabric, 55 may be provided in the center or the brush running longitudinally its entire length for the purpose of making doubly tight the valve on the closed side and requiring that practically all the suction air be taken from the forward side of 7 the broom. At 11 I have shown a flexible welt, preferably of rubberized fabric supported by the metal strip 12. On the forward side of the cleaner the strip 12 may be extended as at 13 tor purpose of making a satisfactory support for the cleaner when not in use and stood up on end.

Figure 2 is a partial, longitudinal cross-section of the brush-nozzle described under Figure 1. The parts are similarly numbered.

Figure 3 shows a structural modification of the automatic valve principles of Figure 1. in this case the top of the brush is held stationary and the valvular action (as at 9 in Figure l) is accomplished by the flexibility of the brush bristles themselves. For this construction, it may be $5 desirable to use longer bristles. In order to obtain as much flexibility of the bristles as possible, the rigid clip 4 which pulls the valve open in Figure l, is shortened as at 4' so as to provide a flexible side wall from the top of the bristles, as at 14. A flexible welt 15 at the bottom provides a highly satisfactory valve seat against the wall of the nozzle 1'. A special conformation of the case i at 16 provides such clearance at the valve as will (when doubled by the movement oi the bristles) provide opening on the forward side of the brush Just sufiicient for vacuum eiilciency. It is necessary however to tie the two flexible side-walls 14 together in order that the pressure and movement of the bristles against one of these side-walls (acting to close the valve) will pull the other side-wall 14 away from its seat. Such tying device may be provided in any desired manner and in any suitable location or arrangement. I have shown such ties 17 for purposes of illustration consisting of wires with the ends turned over outside washers; or strings of tough material sewn through such washers. To mount the brush assembly in the nozzle 1' it is necessary merely that the bracket 6' fit the top n vided as shown at 19. The metal clip or brushback 4' may have a rounded top as shown in order to give it a better stream-line, the curved top be-' ing cut out at the point of support as better illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4 is to Figure 3 what Figure 2 is to Figure 1.

The operation is as follows: The vacuum broom is pushed back and forth on the floor, the sweeping is done manually, the brush automatically opens and closes the vacuum-nozzle-valves. As the nozzle and cleaner are reciprocated backward and forward over the floor, the dirt-laden air is drawn up into the cleaner between the brush and wall of the nozzle alternately on the forward and rearward face of the brush depending on which face is out of contact with the wall of the nozzle.- The shields 3 and 10 in Figs. 1 and 2, and 14 and 15 in Figs. 3 and 4, perfect the valvular action and constitute air excluding means combined with the bristles to obstruct the suction of air through the bristles up into the nozzle. The dirt-laden air is delivered to a suitable filter and dirt collecting means not shown which separates and suitably collects the dirt.

Having set forth my invention so clearly that all can understand I wish it understood that the principles involved in it may be applied, by those familiar with these arts, in many and devious forms.

I claim:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, in combination, a transversely disposed mouth-piece having front and back walls, a bristle brushmounted in the mouth-piece for free backward and forward movement of its bristle portion in accordance with the forward and backward movement of the cleaner,

piece, and each time opening up a space between itself and the wall with which it is not in con tact for the intake of dust-laden air up through the mouth-piece into the cleaner; and air excluding shield means combined with the bristles obstructing the suction of air therethrough up into the mouth-piece.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination defined in claim 1 further characterized by said shield means comprising a flexible layer of nonporous material in the middle zone of the bristle portion of the brush between its front and back faces.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination defined in claim 1 further characterized by said shield means comprising a flexible layer of substantially non-porous material in the middle portion of the bristle portion of the brush between its front and back faces and extending toward the brushing ends of the bristles at least to the shield means comprising flexible layers of substantially non-porous material at the front and rear faces of the bristle portion of the brush.

5. In a vacuum cleaner the combination as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by said shield means comprising flexible layers of substantially non-porous material at the front and rear faces of the bristle portion of the brush and extending towards the brushing ends of the bristles at least to the level of the contact zone between the front and back faces of the brush and the nozzle.

6. In a vacuum cleaner the combination defined in claim 1 further characterized by there being flexible lips of substantially non-porous material attached to the nozzle extending its mouth toward the level of the brushing ends of the bristles.

WARD LEATHERS. 

